Its under the ground ... maybe they come under the mineral rights acts? He he he. Apply for a prospectors license.

As a guide - when do you have to pay for repairs? At the street or at your demarc point?  It probably points to ownership.

It could be a great business - a green initiative. Reclaiming old copper.

my understanding is that it is the property of the local infrastructure provider.

No infrastructure is being provided. That phone connection hasn't worked for years. Maybe I should be charging them rent.

Just a couple of hours ago I called Chorus - I found the copper wires from the pole to my property on the ground. Moved here 12 years ago, never used it - always cable and now fibre. I suspect the last bad weather brought it to the ground.

I mentioned the cable was on the ground and asked it to be removed. About thirty minutes later a Downer technician showed up, put a ladded up the pole and removed it.

Done, costs nothing. Just do it.

Ours are still in the air. No problem with them and they hitch a ride on the power poles (on our property). They are attached at a lower point so could safely be removed. I was mainly just curious.

Chorus didn't take away the aerial copper when we got fibre installed, ended up in a Spark vs Chorus debate where they blamed each other for it not being taken. Have had a quote from Chorus for around $160 to have it fully removed.

Had Vodafone here (after contacting them several times) and they had Downer here at no charge to take their coax cable away.

DjShadow:

 

Chorus didn't take away the aerial copper when we got fibre installed, ended up in a Spark vs Chorus debate where they blamed each other for it not being taken. Have had a quote from Chorus for around $160 to have it fully removed.

 

Had Vodafone here (after contacting them several times) and they had Downer here at no charge to take their coax cable away.

 

I phone today, Chorus sent a technician, he removed our copper, all done in minutes, no charge.

freitasm:

 

DjShadow:

 

Chorus didn't take away the aerial copper when we got fibre installed, ended up in a Spark vs Chorus debate where they blamed each other for it not being taken. Have had a quote from Chorus for around $160 to have it fully removed.

 

Had Vodafone here (after contacting them several times) and they had Downer here at no charge to take their coax cable away.

 

 

I phone today, Chorus sent a technician, he removed our copper, all done in minutes, no charge.

 

Very lucky, Chorus were trying to put it on me that I didn't ask for it during the scope visit (to be honest I wasn't asked). Originally we were going to go onto VDSL while waiting for Fibre when we moved into this place but the copper line was damaged and they didn't want to touch the cable as its connected via a power pole with a power transformer on it as it heads across the road. Spark unfortunately were no help either.

I've been tempted to disconnect it from the house, roll it up and just leave it pinned to the fence next to the power pole.

Builders cut the neighbour's copper phone wires off at the house when doing earthquake repairs and just left them rolled up on the lawn. He stapled them to the base of the pole at the street and cut the excess off. Been like that for a couple of years now.

They knew the copper wasn't needed as the drainlayer also cut the underground fibre.

DjShadow:

Very lucky, Chorus were trying to put it on me that I didn't ask for it during the scope visit (to be honest I wasn't asked).

Chorus own the cables, It's an awkward and confusing thing considering spark own the neax..

you probably could do what you want with them, but  when another customer moves into the property their documentation will say a cable that should be there isnt....

Not an issue.This is a family farm that will never be sold. Anyway, who is going to want an old piece of telephone cable 100 years from now? Who will even know what it was used for?

hio77:

 

Chorus own the cables, It's an awkward and confusing thing considering spark own the neax..

 

 

 

you probably could do what you want with them, but  when another customer moves into the property their documentation will say a cable that should be there isnt....

 

But if Chorus start to decommission the copper network in a few years time will it still matter?

DjShadow:

 

hio77:

 

Chorus own the cables, It's an awkward and confusing thing considering spark own the neax..

 

 

 

you probably could do what you want with them, but  when another customer moves into the property their documentation will say a cable that should be there isnt....

 

 

But if Chorus start to decommission the copper network in a few years time will it still matter?

 

Considering OP is in a rural area that likely won't get fibre, yes.